Archbishop Lazar is known for his prolific (and, at times, controversial) theological writings, particularly regarding his criticism of the aerial toll house teaching of the Orthodox Church.

Biographical timeline

1968: Visiting Mt Athos, Lev Puhalo and Vasili Novakshonoff discussed idea of founding a Canadian Orthodox monastery. Some monks on Mt Athos advise them not to delay. Struggle begins in a tiny hut with a dirt floor east of Rosedale, BC. Vasili continued employment at a library to finance both the monastery and missionary work.

1969 ~Nov: Platform of scrap lumber built over half of the floor.

1969-70: A damp and cold winter found the roof with many leaks, and the hut poorly constructed. Two sheets of plastic, stretched over a rope line, with a kerosene burner between them, became the first cells. Kitchen was on the dirt part of the hut, consisting of a Coleman stove and a tap with cold water.

Translations of books began, with the Life of St Theophil the Fool for Christ of the Kiev Caves, the Life of St Xenia of St Petersburg (published at Jordanville) and a significant portion of the History of Russian Imperial Coronations for the Russian Orthodox Youth Committee.

1970: Symposium held by monastery at a local auditorium, entitled Forgotten Voices, Women in the Early Church.

Second monastery site, of better quality, is found south of Chilliwack, British Columbia.

Synaxis Press founded. Publication of the Canadian Orthodox Missionary began.

1974: First edition of the Synaxis Theological Journal published.

Dcn Lev installed a pipeline, bringing cold water into the monastery from a spring on the mountain above the monastery bulding.

1976: Deacon Lev returns to resume development of monastery. He travels a lot, lecturing and giving talks to youth. During this time he develops a sympathy for those Orthodox who lived away from a church. He often travelled as much as 10,000 miles on buses in a year for those who are isolated or those who request talks.

1980: Deacon Lev is ordered to cease lecturing in parishes on the subject of the toll houses1 by the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia. He was deposed by ROCOR for disobeying his bishop by continuing to preach his heresy of "soul sleep", and "for having entered a jurisdiction not in communion with ROCOR" and went to the schismatic Free Serbian Church.

Archbishop Lazar Puhalo, censing an icon of Fr. Seraphim (Rose)

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1981 Mar: In response to a 1980 request from a small group of Romanian Canadians who wished to worship in the monastery chapel, Bishop Ireney of New Gracanica ordains Deacon Lev to the priesthood for the newly-formed parish of St Tikhon and for the monastery, and tonsured him with the name Lazar. Later, Fr Lazar tonsures Vasili with the name Varlaam.

1983: Fr Lazar offers to help a group of Serbs found a parish in Los Angeles, with services conducted in Church Slavonic and English.

At some point, Fr Lazar was called upon to help found St Sava Serbian Orthodox Seminary for the New Gracanica Metropolitanate. Metr. Ireney ordains Monk Varlaam to the priesthood to serve the parish. Fr Lazar stays there for three years.

1984: The feast of the Theotokos, Joy of Canada was established when Metr. Ireney of New Gracanica presented the Monastery with a small icon of the Theotokos as a blessing.

1985: The parish of St Nicholas, Langley, British Columbia, appealed to the monastery for help and for a priest, and so became the second English-language Orthodox parish in Western Canada.

Because of the unavailability of locally obtainable pure beeswax candles, Fr Varlaam built a small candle factory to produce hand-dipped, pure beeswax candles in the parishes and the monastery.

1990: Archimandrite Lazar is received by the Holy Synod of Milan2 and is consecrated as Bishop of Vancouver by Metropolitan Evlogios of Milan, Archbishop Gregorios of Turin, and Bishop Vigile of Paris.

1991 Nov: After a search, the Monastery was able to acquire an illustrious property that the monastery rests on today. The property was named New Ostrog, and the candle factory was dedicated to the protection of St Vasili of Ostrog.

1996: The monastery, without a canonical release, moved under the omophorion of the schismatic Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Kiev Patriarchate). Patriarch Volodymyr (Romaniuk) elevated Bp Lazar to Archbishop, and consecrated Fr Varlaam as Bishop of Vancouver befor his death in 1995.

2003: Monastery received into the Orthodox Church in America by oikonomia; Abp. Lazar received as a retired bishop with the title Archbishop of Ottawa. Although in retirement from active hierarchal duties, Archbishop Lazar currently serves the Orthodox Church in America as the Civil Liaison for the Archdiocese of Canada with the Government of Canada.

2007: Abp Lazar and Bp Varlaam turn St Nicholas Canadian Orthodox Church in Langley over to the Archdiocese of Canada. Regular services established at the Canadian Orthodox Monastery of All Saints of North America.